ChaloHoppo to an Emerald Meghalaya!

from ₹21,200

After you have walked over the living root bridges and heard them breathe, camp beside a river where the only source of light is the bonfire and the starry sky. Wake up and dive into the transparent the waters of that very river from a cliff. This is not even half of what this trip offers. Swimming goggles on, please!

A trek that will make you go weak in the knees both literally and figuratively, a village that will make you lose track of time and a river that is filled with as much adventure as fishes will make you ponder if you should cancel your tickets! Nothing is an exaggeration only an expression of what the travellers so far have felt. We haven’t yet mentioned the butterflies that will greet you on your treks and the sweet folks who will offer you kwai. May we say that it would be a foodventure for those who like their meat and those who love their veggies shall not go hungry either.

The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance

What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.

Breakfast

Lunch and Dinner in Nongriat (Day 3 and 4)

Accommodation in home stays, tents and a resort twin/tripple

Internal Transport starting from the airport/ station (Swift Dzire/Innova)

Local guide in Nongriat and Shnongpedeng

ChaloHoppo tour coordinator

Parking, tolls, driver allowance, driver accomodation

Bonfires in Nongriat, Shnongpedeng and Cherrapunji(if required)

Whats not included in this tour.Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.

After we drive from Guwahati to a cooler and greener Meghalaya, we make a diversion to drive towards Jowai. From Jowai town, a drive down a winding road and through tiny lanes atypical to Meghalayan small towns we reach Haven’s cove.Haven’s cove, a 20-minute walk away will read the sign. This farmhouse is only accessible on foot.The trail resembles a broader than usual aisle through paddy fields. Haven’s cove unassumingly stands as a farmhouse in the middle of sprawling paddy fields with all amenities that would constitute a dream home for many. Total drive time from Guwahati to Jowai will be 3.5 hours.

Head towards Shnongpdeng, this time you camp by the riverside and enjoy water based activities such as cliff jumping, snorkelling, kayaking, etc. Crash in your tents with the million stars above you and a bonfire keeping you company. Total drive time to Shnongpdeng will be 2 hours.

Post breakfast, start your journey to the Tyrna village (in Cherrapunjee) which acts as the base point for the double decker trek. Even we don’t prefer to go down that path alone so our wonderful warm and fit as a fiddle guide will lead us into the jungle, acting more like a motivator than anything else. This trek is nothing like a typical trek as you need to climb down 3000 steps(you can count it as you go down). Your knees will start to give in and you will be drenched in your sweat but you will recover every drop of that sweat when you reach your destination – the double decker living root bridges. There will be pit stops along the way for you to drink water and try some local lime juice unless you want to beat the time set to trek down by one of the ChaloHoppo guys which stands at 45 minutes to trek down.

We will be only carrying a small backpack for the 2 days that we will be staying down in the village below. Specific instruction regarding the same will be given once you sign up for the trip.

Wake up early in the morning and after breakfast proceed for the trek in the jungle. The morning air won’t get you tired as you cross many more living root bridges and a few hanging bridges to reach rainbow falls . The trekking time one way is approximately 2 hours and it’s better to see the rainbow falls in the afternoon as the sunlight would trigger the rainbow as the sun moves towards west.If you are a good swimmer then you can swim near the waterfalls or chill out in the smaller pools .The place is scenic and spectacular.So please carry a basic camera and if you have binoculars you could also see birdlife. There is absolutely no need for bottled water as the water from the springs is much better and purer than the packaged water. However moisturisers ,warm clothing and trekking shoes are required. Let’s not talk about the butterflies now as they will mesmerise you while you are down in Nongriat.

Take your own sweet time to wake up and have some delicious breakfast in the most pristine setting overlooking the endless rolling hills of Cherrapunji. If you have the energy go for a walk to the nearby stream and witness the stark blue tint in the water. The luxury of waking up lazily depends on the time you book your flight. Preferably book the last flight. Drive time from Cherrapunjee to Guwahati airport will be 4.5 hours.

Properties/ homestay/ camping

Haven’s cove A farmhouse in the middle of sprawling paddy fields with all amenities that would constitute a dream home for many. Spacious rooms, huge kitchen, balconies, koi fish pond, a 3 feet deep swimming pool, a little square pond with 2 pedal boats, 4 ATV, 4 bicycles, an open dining area lined with aesthetic wooden furniture and the views of paddy fields on one side and pine trees on the other. Sai MikaIf you are one for star gazing and appreciate a bit of Bohemian spirit, then this is the place to be. Choose from aesthetically done cottages. ShnongpedengYour idea of riverside camping will either be fulfilled or you will be overwhelmed by the serenity that reside on the river side. Nongriat homestayNothing to describe about the homestays in Nongriat apart from asking you to leave the conventional idea of stays and what they offer. Choose between rooms or camping on roofs.

30 Days prior to arrival : 50% refund 15 Days prior to arrival : 25% refund Less than 15 Days prior to arrival : 0% refund

What type of bag to carry? Carry a small bag(10 to 15 litres) for your trek down to Nongriat village that can fit essential toiletries and change of clothes for 1 night to reduce the weight on your shoulders and make the trek easier. Basic toiletries and allergy medications and tissue rolls (if you need) head lamps/ Torches with batteries quick dry towels band aids ID Proof – Voters card/ Pan Card/ Passport/ Drivers license/ Aadhar card (to be sent on mail upon confirming the trip to [email protected]) Other things that you may bring along : Sun tan lotion Playing cards and small board games,in case you don’t feel sleepy at night Any sort of alcoholic beverages Go pro for under water shots

We will have pick up and drop facility to and from the Guwahati airport once you share the arrival time of your flight.

Campsite: Please avoid carrying plastic bottles or even buying sealed bottles while at the venue as want to have a litter free zone as much as possible. Swimming: You have to be careful as it’s deep and sometimes the current could pull you in. If you aren’t a swimmer, please mention that specifically and put a request for renting a life jacket on email.Avoid plastic: Please avoid buying mineral water, specifically while in Nongriat(Double decker living root bridges village) since it is a major cause of pollution in the delicate eco system of Nongriat. Remember to take up whatever you bring down. Service: Though we will try our best to give you great service, please understand we won’t be able to give you hot towels, bed tea and the like.

Entry to the states of Meghalaya does not require a permit.

A most definite yes, as long as you are okay travelling in a mixed group of other solo travellers or small group of friends.

Not all travellers who sign up for a tour with ChaloHoppo are swimmers so the experience doesn’t get hampered due to lack of that skill. It is certainly an advantage for those can swim but life jackets can be rented along with a guide to ensure safety of the travellers.

Thermals and sweaters, woollen socks

balaclava/ beanie (something that covers your ears and your head)

mufflers and nose mask (to cover the nose as some people catch cold if their nose is exposed)

Sports socks and Swimwear for the Nongriat trek, you can also get swimming goggles or snorkelling masks, and swimming cap

Raincoat (just in case, since you are travelling in ‘abode of clouds’)

Trekking shoes (basic ones will do)

quick dry towels (plastic bag/ ziplock to carry your wet clothes)

Allergy medications and other medicines, since these are very remote places with very little access to most basic things.

A non disposable water bottle to fill water and AVOID BUYING MINERAL WATER

Other things that you may bring along : Tissue rolls head lamps/ Torches with batteries Playing cards and small board games,in case you don’t feel sleepy at night Bottle openers Go pro for under water shots

Ideally a 80 litre backpack should be convenient, however there is no real hiking or trekking with the bags, so a suitcase or trolley is also fine. Do carry a separate smaller bag(10 to 15 litres) for your trek down to Nongriat village that can fit essential toiletries and change of clothes for 1 night only to reduce the weight on your shoulders and make the trek easier.

The cultural diversity of northeast India is so vast that we can’t blame outsiders for not being aware of communities in the region who are purely vegetarians, so much so that they avoid eating onions( they are indigenous to the region, in case you are thinking about communities from mainland India who have settled here). Having said that, we must admit that the region’s food habits especially in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya are predominantly non vegetarian with a whole lot of red meat based preparations. But the states have warmed up to tourists recently and almost every place you visit will provide the Indian staple diet of rice, dal and sabji, even chapatis if you are lucky. As far as Tripura, Assam, Manipur and Sikkim are concerned vegetarians have decent number of options. Your craving for butter paneer may not be satisfied, but you will do just fine as far as maintaining your health and strength is concerned.

We took Meghalaya Assam trip from ChaloHoppo recently, it was such a tailor made one as per our requests and it went really great. We wanna thank John and Chetan for organising such a wonderful vacation for us. We have returned to Chennai with loads of wonderful memories and hearts filled with happiness.. No one could have organised it better than them.. We really appreciate them for taking good care of us every step of the way since the day we landed in Guwahati till we boarded our flight back to Chennai.. Our driver Hasan was another great guy who guided us in completing such a memorable trip.
We really had so much fun and will get back to you for our future vacations and also would definitely recommend you to all our friends and relatives.

The beauty of our trip to NE was in the personlized selection of places to stay,away from the city to give us a feel of Meghalaya and Assam. We were constantly updated on authentic food and local markets . Each place we stayed at ,threw us a surprise by way of architecture and culture. This experience was possible only because of the care and personal involvement of the ChaloHoppo group. would recommend to see NE with ChaloHoppo rather than the bigger trip organizers

Guys if you want to visit North east as a traveler and not as a tourist – get your trip planned with ChaloHoppo. We enjoyed every bit of our trip – crazy safaris, dip in lush blue water every now and then, local food, serene treks to remote places… and so on.
Co-Founder, TravelTriangle

Superb service
Great people our plan didn’t work out .
But hats off man they are promoting northeast in a way it has never been done .
They have some of the best offbeat trips in India .
Looking forward to be with you people.